"'Yudhishthira said, "O grandsire, O thou of great wisdom, O thou that art
conversant with all branches of knowledge, what is that subject of silent
recitation by reciting which every day one may acquire the merit of
righteousness in a large measure? What is that Mantra for recitation
which bestows success if recited on the occasion of setting out on a
journey or in entering a new building, or at the commencement of any
undertaking, or on the occasion of sacrifices in honour of the deities or
of the Pitris? It behoveth thee to tell me what indeed, what Mantra it
is, which propitiates all malevolent influences, or leads to prosperity
or growth, or protection from evil, or the destruction of foes, or the
dispelling of fears, and which, at the same time, is consistent with the
Vedas."
"'Bhishma said, "Hear, O king, with concentrated attention, what that
Mantra is which was declared by Vyasa. It was ordained by Savitri and is
possessed of great excellence. It is capable of cleansing a person
immediately of all his sins. Hear, O sinless one, as I recite to thee the
ordinances in respect of that Mantra. Indeed, O chief of the sons of
Pandu, by listening to those ordinances, one becomes cleansed of all
one's sins. One who recites this Mantra day and night becomes never
stained by sin. I shall now declare it to thee what that Mantra is. Do
thou listen with concentrated attention. Indeed, the man that hears it
becomes endued with long life, O prince, and attaining to the fruition of
all his wishes, sports in felicity both here and hereafter. This Mantra,
O king, was daily recited by the foremost of royal sages devoted to the
practice to Kshatriya duties and steadily observant of the vow of truth.
Indeed, O tiger among kings, those monarchs who, with restrained senses
and tranquil soul, recite this Mantra every day, succeed in acquiring
unrivalled prosperity--Salutations to Vasishtha of high vows after having
bowed with reverence unto Parasara, that Ocean of the Vedas! Salutations
to the great snake Ananta, and salutations to all those who are crowned
with success, and who are of unfading glory! Salutations to the Rishis,
and unto Him that is the Highest of the High, the god of gods, and the
giver of boons unto all those that are foremost. Salutations unto Him of
a thousand heads, Him that is most auspicious, Him that has a thousand
names, viz., Janardana! Aja, Ekapada, Ahivradhna, the unvanquished
Pinakin, Rita Pitrirupa, the three-eyed Maheswara, Vrishakapi, Sambhu,
Havana, and Iswara--these are the celebrated Rudras, eleven in number,
who are the lords of all the worlds. Even these eleven high-souled ones
have been mentioned as a hundred in the Satarudra (of the Vedas). Ansa,
Bhaga, Mitra, Varuna the lord of waters, Dhatri, Aryaman, Jayanta,
Bhaskara, Tvashtri, Pushan, Indra and Vishnu, are said to comprise a tale
of twelve. These twelve are called Adityas and they are the sons of
Kasyapa as the Sruti declares. Dhara, Dhruva, Some, Savitra. Anila,
Anala, Pratyusha, and Prabhava, are the eight Vasus named in the
scriptures, Nasataya and Dasra are said to be the two Aswins. They are
the sons of Martanda born of his spouse Samjna, from whose nostrils they
came out. After this I shall recite the names of those who are the
witnesses of all acts in the worlds. They take note of all sacrifices, of
all gifts, of all good acts. Those lords among the deities behold
everything although they are invisible. Indeed, they behold all the good
and bad acts of all beings. They are Mrityu, Kala, the Viswedevas, the
Pitris endued with forms, the great Rishis possessed of wealth of
penances, the Munis, and others crowned with success and devoted to
penances and emancipation. These of sweet smiles, bestow diverse benefits
upon those men that recite their names. Verily, endued with celestial
energy, they bestow diverse regions of felicity created by the Grandsire
upon such men. They reside in all the worlds and attentively note all
acts. By reciting the names of those lords of all living creatures, one
always becomes endued with righteousness and wealth and enjoyments in
copious measure. One acquires hereafter diverse regions of auspiciousness
and felicity created by the Lord of the universe. These three and thirty
deities, who are the lords of all beings as also Nandiswara of huge body,
and that pre-eminent one who has the bull for the device on his banner,
and those masters of all the worlds, viz., the followers and associates
of him called Ganeswara, and those called Saumyas, and called the Rudras,
and those called the Yogas, and those that are known as the Bhutas, and
the luminaries in the firmament, the Rivers, the sky, the prince of birds
(viz., Garuda), all those persons on earth who have become crowned with
success in consequence of their penances and who are existing in an
immobile or mobile form, the Himavat, all the mountains, the four Oceans,
the followers and associates of Bhava who are possessed of prowess equal
to that of Bhava himself, the illustrious and ever-victorious Vishnu, and
Skanda, and Ambika,--these are the great souls by reciting whose name
with restrained senses, one becomes cleansed of all sins. After this I
shall recite the names of those foremost Rishis who are known as Manavas.
They are Yavakrita, and Raibhya, and Arvavasu, and Paravasu, and Aushija,
and Kakshivat, and Vala the son of Angiras. Then comes Kanwa the son of
the Rishi Medhatithi, and Varishada. All these are endued with the energy
of Brahma and have been spoken of (in the scriptures) as creators of the
universe. They have sprung from Rudra and Anala and the Vasus. By
reciting their names people obtain great benefits. Indeed, by doing good
deeds on earth, people sport in joy in heaven, with the deities. These
Rishis are the priests of Indra. They live in the east. That man who,
with rapt attention, recites the names of these Rishis, succeeds in
ascending to the regions of Indra and obtaining great honours there.
Unmachu, Pramchu, Swastyatreya of great energy, Dridhavya, Urdhvavahu,
Trinasoma, Angiras, and Agastya of great energy, the son of
Mitravaruna,--these seven are the Ritwiks of Yama the king of the dead,
and dwell in the southern quarter. Dridheyu and Riteyu, and Pariyadha of
great fame, and Ekata, and Dwita, and Trita--the last three endued with
splendour like that of the sun,--and Atri's son of righteous soul, viz.,
the Rishi Saraswata,--these seven who had acted as Ritwiks in the great
sacrifice of Varuna--have taken up their abodes in the western quarter.
Atri, the illustrious Vasishtha, the great Rishi Kasyapa, Gotama,
Bharadwaja, Viswamitra, the son of Kusika, and Richika's fierce son
Jamadagni of great energy,--these seven are the Ritwiks of the Lord of
treasures and dwell in the northern quarter. There are seven other Rishis
that live in all directions without being confined to any particular one.
They, it is, who are the inducers of fame and of all this beneficial to
men, and they have been sung as the creators of the worlds. Dharma, Kama,
Kala, Vasu, Vasuki, Ananta, and Kapila,--these seven are the upholders of
the world. Rama, Vyasa, Drona's son Aswatthaman, are the other Rishis
(that are regarded as the foremost). These are the great Rishis as
distributed into seven groups, each group consisting of seven. They are
the creators of that peace and good that men enjoy. They are said to be
the Regents of the several points of the compass. One should turn one's
face to that direction in which one of these Rishis live if one wishes to
worship him. Those Rishis are the creators of all creatures and have been
regarded as the cleansers of all. Samvarta, Merusavarna, the righteous
Markandeya, and Sankhya and Yoga, and Narada and the great Rishi
Durvasa,--these are endued with severe penance and great self-restraint,
and are celebrated over the three worlds. There are others who are equal
to Rudra himself. They live in the region of Brahman. By naming them with
reverence a sonless man obtains a son, and a poor man obtains wealth.
Indeed, by naming them, one acquires success in religion, and wealth and
pleasure. One should also take the name of that celebrated king who was
Emperor of all the earth and equal to a Prajapati, viz., that foremost of
monarchs, Prithu, the son of Vena. The earth became his daughter (from
love and affection). One should also name Pururavas of the Solar race and
equal unto Mahendra himself in prowess. He was the son of Ila and
celebrated over the three worlds. One should, indeed, take the name of
that dear son of Vudha. One should also take the name of Bharata, that
hero celebrated over the three worlds. He also who in the Krita age
adored the gods in a grand Gomedha sacrifice, viz., Rantideva of great
splendour, who was equal unto Mahadeva himself, should be named. Endued
with penances, possessed of every auspicious mark, the source of every
kind of benefit to the world, he was the conqueror of the universes. One
should also take the name of the royal sage Sweta of illustrious fame. He
had gratified the great Mahadeva and it was for his sake that Andhaka was
slain. One should also take the name of the royal sage Bhagiratha of
great fame, who, through the grace of Mahadeva, succeeded in bringing
down the sacred river from heaven (for flowing over the earth and
cleansing all human beings of their sins). It was Bhagiratha who caused
the ashes of the sixty thousand sons of Sagara to be overflowed with the
sacred waters of Ganga and thereby rescued them from their sin. Indeed,
one should take the names of all these that were endued with the blazing
effulgence of fire, great beauty of person, and high energy. Some of them
were of awe-inspiring forms and great might. Verily, one should take the
names of these deities and Rishis and kings, those lords of the
universe,--who are enhancers of fame. Sankhya, and Yoga which is highest
of the high, and Havya and Kavya and that refuge of all the Srutis, viz.,
Supreme Brahma, have been declared to be the sources of great benefit to
all creatures. These are sacred and sin-cleansing and have been spoken of
very highly. These are the foremost of medicines for allaying all
diseases, and are the inducers of the success in respect of all deeds.
Restraining one's senses, one should, O Bharata, take the names of these,
morning and evening. It is these that protect. It is these that shower
rain. It is these that shine and give light and heat. It is these that
blow. It is these that create all things. These are regarded as the
foremost of all, as the leaders of the universe, as highly clever in the
accomplishment of all things, as endued with forgiveness, as complete
masters of the senses. Indeed, it has been said that they dispel all the
evils to which human beings are subject. These high-souled ones are the
witnesses of all good and bad deeds. Rising up in the morning one should
take their names, for by this, one is sure to acquire all that is good.
He who takes the names of them becomes freed from the fear of fires and
of thieves. Such a man never finds his way obstructed by any impediment.
By taking the names of these high-souled ones, one becomes free from bad
dreams of every kind. Cleared from every sin, such men take birth in
auspicious families. That regenerate person who, with restrained senses,
recites these names on the occasions of performing the initiatory rites
of sacrifices and other religious observances, becomes, as the
consequence thereof, endued with righteousness, devoted to the study of
the soul, possessed of forgiveness and self-restraint, and free from
malice. If a man that is afflicted with disease recites them, he becomes
freed from his sin in the form of disease. By reciting them within a
house, all evils are dispelled from the inmates. By reciting them within
a field, the growth is helped of all kinds of crops. Reciting them at the
time of setting out on a journey, or while one is away from one's home,
one meets with good fortune. These names lead to the protection of one's
own self, of one's children and spouses, of one's wealth, and of one's
seeds, and plants. The Kshatriya who recites these names at the time of
joining a battle sees destruction overtake his foes and good fortune
crown him and his party. The man who recites these names on the occasions
of performing the rites in honour of the deities or the Pitris, helps the
Pitris and deities eat the sacrificial Havya and Kavya. The man that
recites them becomes freed from fear of diseases and beasts of prey, of
elephants and thieves. His load of anxiety becomes lightened, and he
becomes freed from every sin. By reciting these excellent Savitri Mantras
on board a vessel, or in a vehicle, or in the courts of kings, one
attains to high success. There where these Mantras are recited, fire does
not burn wood. There children do not die, nor snakes dwell. Indeed, at
such places, there can be no fear of the king, nor of Pisachas and
Rakshasas.[607] Verily, the man who recites these Mantras ceases to have
any fear of fire or water or wind or beasts of prey. These Savitri
Mantras, recited duly, contribute to the peace and well-being of all the
four orders. Those men who recite them with reverence become freed from
every sorrow and at last attain to a high end. Even these are the results
achieved by them that recite these Savitri Mantras which are of the form
of Brahma. That man who recites these Mantras in the midst of kine sees
his kine become fruitful. Whether when setting out on a journey, or
entering a house on coming back, one should recite these Mantras on every
occasion. These Mantras constitute a great mystery of the Rishis and are
the very highest of those which they silently recite. Even such are these
Mantras unto them who practise the duty of recitation and pour libations
on the sacrificial fire. This that I have said unto thee is the excellent
opinion of Parasara. It was recited in former days unto Sakra himself.
Representing as it does Truth or Eternal Brahman, I have declared it in
full to thee. It constitutes that heart of all creatures, and is the
highest Sruti. All the princes of the race of Soma and of Surya, viz.,
the Raghavas and the Kauravas, recite these Mantras every day after
having purified themselves, These constitute the highest end of human
creatures. There is rescue from every trouble and calamity in the daily
recitation of the names of the deities of the seven Rishis, and of
Dhruva. Indeed, such recitation speedily frees one from distress. The
sages of olden times, viz., Kasyapa, Gotama, and others, and Bhrigu
Angiras and Atri and others, and Sukra, Agastya, and Vrihaspati, and
others, all of whom are regenerate Rishis, have adored these Mantras.
Approved of by the son of Bharadwaja, these Mantras were attained by the
sons of Richika. Verily, having acquired them again from Vasishtha, Sakra
and the Vasus went forth to battle and succeeded in subjugating the
Danavas. That man who makes a present of a hundred kine with their horns
covered with plates of gold unto a Brahmana possessed of much learning
and well-conversant with the Vedas, and he who causes the excellent
Bharata story to be recited in his house every day, are said to acquire
equal merits. By reciting the name of Bhrigu one's righteousness becomes
enhanced. By bowing to Vasishtha one's energy become enhanced. By bowing
unto Raghu, one becomes victorious in battle. By reciting the praises of
the Aswins, one becomes freed from diseases. I have thus, O king, told
thee of the Savitri Mantras which are identical with eternal Brahman. If
thou wishest to question me on any other topic thou mayst do so. I shall,
O Bharata, answer thee."'"